And, sometimes when you are so happy you might even find a tear or two flowing down your cheeks.

Anyone who really knows me, knows that I have a lot of passion in my heart, and along with that

often comes passionate emotion. I feel things very deeply. I wear my heart on my sleeve.

But, I even surprised myself yesterday afternoon when I spotted my first monarch, a female, on a mission

to lay every single one of her (almost 300-400) eggs in my front yard, on the milkweed yet to be planted.

I hadn't expected to feel so much emotion about the returning of the monarch on their journey north.

It's a bit hard to tell from the photographs but she has some definite wear on her wings, and loss of scales

and is quite faded compared to a freshly emerged monarch.

She would rest in between laying eggs,

and then back to work she went, and you know what? I was in just the right spot and for the first time ever

as I watched her lay an egg I saw it come right out on to the leaf! Sigh.....

before I left for my son's track meet I roughly counted 40 eggs! And I know there were all from her,

since I've been checking for eggs daily.

Oddly, I never once saw her drink any nectar. They will lay only one egg per leaf (at a time) but, and sadly as I watched her circle my cul de sac looking for more milkweed and not finding any, she came right back to the 4 one gallon, and flat of 20 4 inch pots I had on my sidewalk. I haven't gone out to count yet this morning

but I did see last night when I got home more eggs in places they weren't before.

** Update: I have just finished my official counting**

98 eggs!

I officially DO NOT now have enough milkweed...must get seeds planted and in the meantime go get more milkweed...when I'm done with this in fact before the weekend rush!

Yes, shouting from the rooftop ....I'm clapping and singing Happy.....

Oh that is sooo exciting! I had no idea they preferred milkweed leaves to use for their eggs! I did hear on our news yesterday that the Butterfly Kaleidoscope started at our zoo today, and runs through Sept. 1st. I'm so excited to go and my camera as soon as it's warm enough! I hope you get to see the process of these beauties!

Thanks for dropping by to see my "wild" post and leaving a comment.This monarch IS exciting, especially to see the eggs being laid. I hope the monarchs make it to Ontario this summer, there were so few of them last year and we were very sad about this.My butterfly garden has lots of milkweed and our rural area has it growing along the sides of the road.I hope they come...

awesome!! We had wild milkweed growing all over our area and then the city came and sprayed and mowed it ALL down last year. I almost cried! I did not see one caterpillar or butterfly after that. Hoping some comes back this spring!!

Wow! That is really awesome. And your photos are so pretty. Thanks for teaching me something new. Guess I need to buy some milkweed...Hmmm...maybe I should check and see if Monarch's come around here first.

And how exciting! You captured clear, wonderful images of her too. I think you should let your passion show. Definitely. And thanks for sharing it with us. Dare to be as happy as a room without a roof. I love that mental image!

Wow, this early? We have to get the milkweed for our yard. I've been told it's the only thing they will lay eggs on….their only source of food.So wonderful you were able to capture the little lady. She's beautiful even if she is a bit ragged.

Look's like someone visit your beautiful garden ,really a good capture to your visitor ,in Finland where i am an fortune teller i have also a garden and i have always a lot of visitors which make my garden really look beautiful.

LoVe is a butterfly. . .

About Me

I am a jewelry artist and photographer, both of which are inspired by my love of nature. Armed with my camera I could spend all day exploring the wonders of our world. I believe so much of the perspective of life changes when you look through the lens of a camera, and that miracles are discovered along the way.